In an effort to ensure worker safety by setting examples for all employers, OSHA is aggressively enforcing its standards in cases where employers demonstrate indifference in protecting the health and safety of their workers.

In the past year and a half of the current OSHA administration, OSHA investigators have issued 17 citations for egregious violations. These employers showed multiple instances of willful and flagrant indifference to correcting workplace hazards, many of which resulted in tragic worker fatalities, worksite catastrophes (including explosions and chemical releases) or large numbers of worker injuries or illnesses.

This number is more than double the amount of similar violations issued in the two years before the current administration took office. Some of the employers that have been cited as a part of OSHA’s recent efforts include BP Products North America, Kleen Energy and Cooperative Plus.

What does this effort mean for employers? More than any other time, it is crucial to make safety and OSHA compliance a top priority. Measures to improve job safety and health will consistently help your bottom line by reducing workers’ compensation claims, improving worker satisfaction and employee retention and avoiding costly citations from OSHA.

Making safety and proper recordkeeping a priority can improve your business operations and ensure that OSHA inspections go smoothly.